Apparatus for Tensioning a Band

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an apparatus for tensioning a bond, in particular a tripping device, comprising a drive unit ( 10 ) which, in the operated state, drives a band winding unit ( 12 ) with opposite directions of rotation in one direction in each case. As a result of the band ( 18 ), which can be inserted into the apparatus, being releasably locked in predefinable positions by means of an operating device ( 14 ) which can be actuated by a control device ( 16 ) of the band winding unit ( 12 ), functional positioning of the band winding unit is started in order to fix the band, which can be inserted into the apparatus, in the tensioned or tautened state, in order to then be able to insert the band tensioning apparatus for a new strapping operation after the band is severed.

The invention relates to an apparatus for tensioning a band, in particular a strapping device, having a drive unit which in the actuated state drives a band winding unit with opposite directions of rotation in one direction at a time.

Band tensioning apparatus and strapping devices such as these are readily available on the market in a plurality of embodiments. The known solutions, however, have been found to be difficult to manage in manual use, whether due to their dimensions or due to their weight in use. The known solutions are also to some extent costly to produce and are fault-susceptible in operation due to their construction.

Proceeding from this prior art, therefore the object of the invention is to further develop the known apparatus such that with economical production they are reliable and can be easily handled in use with reduced geometrical dimensions. This object is achieved by an apparatus with the features of claim 1 in its totality.

In that, as specified in the characterizing part of claim 1, by means of an actuating device which can be triggered by the control device of the band winding unit, the band which can be inserted into the apparatus is releasably locked in definable positions, the operating position of the band winding unit is taken as the basis to fix the band which can be inserted into the device in the tensioned or tightened state, in order to then be able to use the band tensioning apparatus for a repeated strapping process after the band is cut. Due to this mechanical positive coupling the winding and locking processes, in addition to loosening the band for a re-attachment process, proceed entirely automatically; this greatly simplifies handling in terms of actuating processes. This mechanical trigger device can also be housed in a space-saving manner within the apparatus so that the solution according to the invention is geometrically small and need have only a small weight in use. Moreover, the apparatus with its mechanical trigger components can be economically implemented, and as a result of the triggering processes of diverse control parts of the apparatus which proceed largely automatically, a reliable tensioning or strapping process is ensured.

In one especially preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, integrated in the housing of the apparatus it has a rotatable cutting means for the band which can be guided in a slot guide which, provided with at least one cutting blade in the rotary position, allows the band to be cut. In this way, within the device another function is implemented, specifically that of cutting, in addition to the functions of winding and locking of the band. Preferably it is provided that to drive the rotatable cutting means, a rod drive is used which can be actuated by parts of a lever mechanism which causes the winding processes and the attachment and release of the band which can be inserted into the apparatus. As a result of the mechanical positive coupling by way of the rod drive, in this respect a reliable sequence is ensured since triggering of a function at the same time triggers the following function in a defined manner.

In another especially preferred embodiment, it is provided that the drive unit is a pneumatic motor with two opposite directions of rotation, which interacts with the band winding unit by way of a worm drive. Since commercial buildings generally have pneumatic supply means, the pneumatic motor can be connected to a compressed air supply almost anywhere so that there is extensive independence when using the tensioning apparatus on site. With a pneumatic motor high forces can be applied and still a limit can be defined depending on the maximum definable working pressure, so that even in the case of improper operation the drive motor cannot damage the mechanical components of the apparatus. This pressure limitation overall also benefits the safety of the apparatus in use. Otherwise the use of pneumatic drives has little susceptibility to dirt so that the apparatus according to the invention can also be used in challenging areas such as the food industry, the pharmaceutical industry, electronics industry, etc. Fundamentally the use of other drive concepts is also possible.

The apparatus according to the invention for tensioning of a band can be used for almost any band size and for any packaging purpose in which a band for the purpose of strapping is placed around the packaged article and then tightened, for example, to bundle several packaging units of the packaged article to one another.

The apparatus according to the invention is detailed below using various embodiments as shown in the figures. The figures are schematic and not to scale.

FIG. 1 shows the band tensioning apparatus as a whole in a perspective view with a winding and cutting means;

FIG. 2 shows a side face view of one part of the apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 without the cutting means;

FIGS. 3 to 8 show in part the side face view of the tensioning apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 in different operating positions;

FIG. 9 shows part of the tensioning apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 with the housing partially cut away;

FIGS. 10 to 13 show another embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention according to the preceding figures;

FIGS. 14 to 17 shows another embodiment which has been modified relative to the control device.

FIG. 1 shows in a perspective side view the band tensioning apparatus as a whole, which can be used as a so-called strapping apparatus, but in this case the apparatus is shown without the band which is to be tensioned. The tensioning apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 has a drive unit which is designated as a whole as 10 which in the actuated state drives a band winding unit designated as a whole as 12, with opposite directions of rotation in one direction at a time. By means of an actuating device which is designated as a whole as 14 and which can be triggered by a control device of the band winding unit 14, which control device is designated as a whole as 16, as will be detailed below, a band 18 which can be inserted into the apparatus, which is not shown in FIG. 1, and which is also referred to as a strapping band, can be releasably locked in definable positions. To cut the band otherwise a cutting means designated as a whole as 20 is used. All the aforementioned components of the tensioning apparatus are integrated in a tensioning housing of the apparatus which is designated as a whole as 22. This tensioning housing viewed in the direction of looking at FIG. 1 on its underside has a plate-like support shoe 24 which with its underside makes it possible to support the apparatus on a packaged article and on its opposite exposed top there is a guide surface 26 for guiding the band which is to be tensioned.

FIG. 2 shows a face view of the tensioning apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 with the tensioning housing 22 partially cut away for purposes of better representation of the interior operation of the apparatus, and otherwise in FIG. 2 the cutting means 20 is omitted since in the pertinent basic embodiment the illustrated apparatus can also be used as a pure band tensioning apparatus and cutting of the band can take place outside the device, for example, with a separate cutting means in the form of a knife (not shown). The band 18 is shown schematically in FIG. 2. The band 18 can be a steel band, a plastic band or one with steel or plastic reinforcing and in the closed state shown in FIG. 1 straps a packaged article which is not detailed and which is already held in the illustrated winding loop 30. In particular, glued bands or those woven from plastic fibers are used.

Since the band 18 is generally used for standard strapping process of a defined packaged article, the length of the band is fundamentally given in defined stages of size. For each type of packaged article a defined band length is then available, and the packaged article can also consist of several parts so that then several packaging units can be held together in a bundle and therefore in a lot size by way of the band 18. Here the tensioned and strapped band 18 is used to stiffen the packaged article so that in particular when using cardboard as the packaging jacket the packaging is additionally secured by way of the band. These relationships are recognized so that they will not be detailed here. Before their processing the bands can have an exactly defined length which is matched to the packaged article; but with the apparatus according to the invention use of any band lengths is also possible.

But it should also be mentioned, for the sake of better understanding, that the band 18 with its one free end 32 is looped around an eye or thimble 34 in a self-locking manner and the other free end 36 of the band is held within the band winding unit 12 after a certain number of turns or loops. Since the number of loops is limited, the length of the band should always be chosen such that not too many turns arise on the band winding unit 12 which can then no longer be handled by the device; the band length, however, should not be too short since otherwise tightening of the band 18 and its attachment on the band winding unit 12 can be at risk. In a system state as shown in FIG. 2 the band 18 is clamped within the tensioning apparatus and by winding the band 18 on the band winding unit 12, the eye or the thimble 34 together with the free band end 32 is tightened in the direction of the arrow X to the tensioning housing 22; this shortens the free length of the tensioning band 18 with the result that the band 18 can be placed tightly around the packaged article which is not detailed.

When this tensioning and winding process is completed, the band 18 can be severed, for example, at the cutting site 38 by way of a separate cutting means or blade means and the strapping process would then be completed. Instead of the indicated band 18 as a flat body, there could also be a wire-shaped body and then it would also be fundamentally conceivable to attach a multiple superimposed arrangement of bands 18 (not shown) to a third article such as a packaged article in this way, strapping it, but if the band 18 has been cut off at the cutting site 38, by way of the self-locking of the parts of the eye or cramp for the eye 34, the band 18 in its tensioned position is held by locking.

The control device 16 shown in FIG. 2 has a first control part 40 with control cams 42. These control cams 2 extend diametrically opposite one another around the longitudinal axis 44 of the band winding unit 12. Furthermore, there is a second control part 46 with another type of control cam 48. This control cam 48 is present only once and extends with its outside diameter along a graduated circle which is larger in diameter, then relative to the pivoting circle of the control cams 42 in their maximum possible pivoted-out position. Both control parts 40, 46 can be entrained at least in one direction by the winding shaft 50 of the band winding unit 12. But the indicated graduated circle need not necessarily be larger. The winding shaft 50 is made as a cylindrical driving pin and in the center has a continuous longitudinal slot 52 which is used to entrain the end region of the other end 36 of the band. Instead of one longitudinal slot, there can also be several longitudinal slots. If five control cams 42 are used, a diametrically opposite arrangement is replaced by one in which the distances of the control cams 42 in the radial peripheral direction to one another are the same. In each instance the control cams 42 are preferably located on the same graduated circle.

One of the two control parts, here the control part 40, is provided with a freewheeling means such that in one of the two possible directions of rotation, here viewed in the direction of looking at FIG. 2, the second control part 46 can be entrained clockwise by the winding shaft 50 without the transfer of force or retains the position it has assumed. In this respect the control cams 42 of the control part 40 maintain their illustrated position and together with the second control part 46 turn counterclockwise. In the other direction which is identified with the arrow Y in FIG. 2 and accordingly counterclockwise, the control parts 40, 46 tend to move in the other direction, the second control part 46 with its control cam 48 then forming an abutment for parts of the actuating device 14. The indicated freewheeling means as shown in FIG. 1 is implemented by way of individual freewheeling bodies which are held in the inner and outer ring parts of the tensioning housing 22 and the band winding unit 12, these freewheeling means being prior art so that they will no longer be detailed here.

As furthermore follows from FIG. 2, the actuating device 14 comprises a multipart lever drive, the lever 56 made as an angle lever being triggerable by a first control part 40 with its control cam 42. Another lever 58 which is likewise made in the form of an angle lever can be triggered by the second control part 46 with its control cam 48. Both levers 56, 58 for their actuation on their free end have a curve roller 60 so that they can slide better on the paths formed by the control cams 42, 48. The other lever 58 on its other free end is pivoted in the tension housing 42 via an axis 62 of rotation. Another actuating lever 64 is rigidly coupled to the lever 58 and via another articulation 66 bears a foot-like locking means 68 for clamping or tightening the band 18. On the underside the locking means 68 as shown in FIG. 2 is provided with fluting in order to increase the force of engagement with the band surface 18.

In the region of the lower third of the actuating lever 64 in the direction of looking at it, behind said lever, the lever 56 is coupled by way of a third axis 70 of rotation. An energy storage device in the form of a tension spring 72 tries to pivot the rear angle piece of the angle lever 56 counterclockwise around the third axis of rotation 70. Furthermore, another energy storage device in the form of a compression spring 74 presses the upper end of the lever 58 counterclockwise. This compression spring 74 is shown only as a functional element in FIG. 2 and is otherwise implemented as shown in FIG. 9 by a leg spring 76 for practical execution. The indicated tension and compression springs can also be replaced by compression and tension springs respectively which, however, attach analogously elsewhere with their required force action. Furthermore, the angle lever 56 on its end opposite the curve roller 50 has a contact flank 78 which is in contact in the operating position as shown in FIG. 2 with a catch support 80 which in the region of potential sliding off of the contact flank 78 is provided with a convex guideway 82. This catch support 80 with the formation of an abutment for the indicated part of the lever drive is permanently connected to the housing 22 of the tensioning apparatus and is part of it.

The drive unit 10 preferably consists of a pneumatic motor, but could also be an electric motor or the like. The pneumatic motor which is made rod-like on its one free face side ends in a drive pinion 84 which in this respect meshes with a continuous worm drive 86 which drives the winding shaft 50 of the band winding unit 12, counterclockwise (arrow Y) or in the opposite direction Z (see FIG. 7) depending on the direction of drive rotation of the pneumatic motor. In this respect the housing parts of the pneumatic motor are seated outside on the tensioning housing 22 and the rotatable parts of the pneumatic motor, in particular in the form of the drive pinion 84, are guided within the housing 22.

The control cams 42 (a total of six) of the first control part 40 are arranged at discrete distances from one another extending along the closed curve path which runs concentrically to the winding shaft 50, in this embodiment the control cams 42 being movable around a pivoting axis 88 against the action of another energy storage device in the form of compression springs 90. A different number of control cams 42 is possible. In this respect the pivoting control cams 42 are held in at least the direction of rotation Y of the winding shaft 50 in the trigger position for parts of the lever drive in the form of the curve roller 60 of the angle lever 56. The second control part 46, as already described, has a control cam 48 which on the outer peripheral side forms a type of involute path with control flanks 92, 94 which taper conically to its free end, and of which one 92 forms an abutment surface for parts of the lever drive in the form of a curve roller 60 for the upper angle lever 58.

The embodiment as depicted in FIG. 2 is shown without the cutting means, the arrangement shown in FIG. 2 being sufficient to be able to bring about an attachment process for a band 18. To complement the version as shown in FIG. 2, a complete attachment cycle for the band 18 is described below using FIGS. 3 to 8 with inclusion of the cutting means 20, the band, however, being only partially shown in the figures and only with its relevant regions.

The cutting means shown in FIG. 3 et seq. can be pivoted and is made comparably to the winding shaft 50 as a hollow sleeve 96 which in the expanded inner peripheral region has a cutting blade 98 which projects in the manner of a fin, with a free cutting edge which projects in the direction of the continuous longitudinal slot 100, the cutting blade 98 being connected as a pivoting cutting means 20 to a triangle lever 102 (cf. FIG. 3) which can be triggered by way of a rod drive 104 via the lever drive which in this respect acts pivotally on the longitudinal rod of the rod drive 104 by way of a lever piece 106, the rod drive 104 on its other opposite free end being articulated to the end of the triangle lever 102.

As FIG. 3 et seq. show, the hollow sleeve 96 remains in its position and the cutting blade 98 is pivoted counterclockwise via the rod drive 104 and the lever drive with the lever piece 106 out of its cutting position as shown in FIG. 3 into a neutral position as shown in FIG. 5 within the hollow sleeve 96 and clockwise in turn into the cutting position as shown in FIG. 8.

According to the initial or base position as shown in FIG. 3, the cutting blade 48 is held in the cutting position and the locking means 68 is held in the opened position, i.e., the pertinent base plate or clamping plate is raised, as shown, toward the top over the lever drive. The drive device 10 is not actuated and the band 18, which is not detailed, is wrapped around the packed article or packaging article and is inserted into the attachment clasp in the form of the eye 34 as shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore the indicated band 18 is placed on the guide surface 26 of the housing 22 by the band 18 being pulled through between the locking means 68 and the guide surface 26. The upper free end of the band is not yet inserted into the indicated tensioning apparatus.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the drive unit 10 is then turned on and there is rotation counterclockwise in direction Y. As a result of the worm drive in the form of a continuous worm, the pertinent direction of rotation clockwise arises, in this respect the winding shaft 50 also being rotationally entrained counterclockwise. The control cams 42 which are coupled to the disk-shaped first control part 40 actuate the angle lever 56 by way of its projecting guide roller 60. This angle lever 56 is then moved clockwise away from the projecting end of the engaged control cam 42 by pivoting around the pivoting axis 70 so that in this respect the other angle lever 58 is released and the latter can turn counterclockwise around the pivoting axis 62; this takes place until the clamping plate of the locking means 68 as shown in FIG. 5 under the spring force of the energy storage device 74 is moved down and clamps the band 18 in this way.

Then “overcentering” would take place between the movable lever parts via the lever drive which can be made as a toggle joint lever drive; this accordingly raises the clamping force for the locking means 68. For the pertinent position, the angle lever 58 as shown in FIG. 5 with its guide roller 60 is in contact with the flank 94 of the control cam 48. Until clamping of the band 18 takes place within the locking means 68, the pertinent triggering process is also used to guide the free end of the band through the longitudinal slot 100 within the hollow sleeve 96 and furthermore to allow the end of the band to engage the longitudinal slot 52 of the winding shaft 50 for a winding process. In order to enable this process, by pivoting the rod drive 104 back by way of the lever piece 106 which is coupled to the angle lever 58, the cutting blade 98 is moved out of its cutting position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 into the upper inactive position as shown in FIG. 5, for which the sharp blade edge runs parallel to the longitudinal slot 100 of the cutting means 20. This entrainment of the lever piece 106 counterclockwise around the pivoting axis 62 is induced by the feed motion of the lever 58 under the action of the compression spring 74.

As furthermore follows from FIGS. 3 to 5, the contact flank 78 of the angle lever 56 is first in supportive contact with the free face side of the catch support 80 and as a result of the described lever motion first the contact flank 78 is guided along the concave face-side path of the catch support 80 until it catches underneath, at which point then sliding along the lower convex guide path 82 of the indicated catch support 80 is induced, a movement which is supported by the tension spring arrangement 72, the tension spring 72 with its two free ends being coupled on the one hand to the actuating lever 64 and on the other hand to the angle lever 56 in the region of the acting flank 78. As soon as the position as shown in FIG. 5 has been assumed, the drive unit 10 is stopped. The drive unit 10 in the form of the pneumatic motor is turned on and off by means of actuating knobs which are not shown and which, however, permit one-hand operation for the entire tensioning apparatus, and for each direction of rotation 10 of the drive unit 10 there is preferably an actuating knob which indicates the direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, the drive unit 10 has again been turned on and the winding shaft 50 according to the direction of rotation Y has brought about several winding processes for the end 36 of the band. The second control part 46 with the control cam 48 is then entrained via frictional engagement until the flank 92 used as the abutment surface makes contact with the guide roller 60 of the other lever 59, extending underneath it. At this point the band can be further wound by actuating the winding shaft 50 and is tensioned until a set tensioning force is reached which is dictated by way of the pneumatic motor in terms of its possible pressure balance, i.e., viewed in the direction of looking at FIG. 2 the eye or thimble 34 in the direction of arrow X is pulled to the tension housing 22 of the apparatus and in this respect straps the packaged article positively and nonpositively. If excess winding of the band material on the winding shaft 50 were to occur unexpectedly beforehand, the drive 10 could be shut off by hand in this case.

In the continuation of the process as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in turn the drive unit 10 is then turned on and there is rotation in the Z direction as shown in FIG. 7 for the winding shaft 50. Therefore it turns clockwise. In the pertinent opposing motion the tension of the band 18 at the clamping site, that is, in the region of the locking means 68, is relieved and at the same time the control cam 48 of the second control part 46 is entrained away from the stop, clockwise Z via the indicated freewheeling or freewheeling means 54. After approx. ¾ of a revolution the flank 94 of the control cam 48 comes into contact with the guide roller 60 of the lever 58 and the actuating lever 58 is moved clockwise against the spring force of the energy and spring storage device in the form of the compression or leg spring 74 around the pivoting axis 62. Due to this motion of the lever 56, as shown in FIG. 8, the clamping plate of the locking means 68 is raised and then releases the band 18. At the uppermost curve point the lever 58 with its contact flank 78 then passes the edge of the stationary catch support 80 and is then turned counterclockwise around the pivoting axis 64 by means of spring force and is supported in turn on the free face side of the catch support 80. Accordingly, this actuating lever 56 is fixed in this position when the clamp is opened.

With the opening of band clamping, by way of the rod drive 104 the cutting blade 98 is pivoted clockwise via the triangle lever 102 and in this way is moved into its cutting position which is shown in FIG. 8. In this cutting position as shown in FIG. 8, the band 18 is severed on the end side at that location. The spring-loaded control cams 42 which slide past the curve roller 60 of the angle lever 56 are folded or pivoted away against the spring force and thus do not hinder the release process for the band. Then in turn the drive unit 10 can be turned off and with respect to the severed band 18 with the band clamping opened the tension apparatus can be removed. The band residue which remains on the winding shaft 50 as shown in FIG. 8 can then be easily removed by hand. The band tensioning apparatus is then available for a repeated tensioning process according to its initial position as shown in FIG. 3.

In one embodiment as shown in FIGS. 10 to 13 the disk-shaped control part 40 which interacts with the winding shaft 50 is equipped with stationary control cams 42 a instead of the spring-loaded, movable control cams 42. In order to achieve the same action as the above described solution, in addition to the already described angle lever 56 there can be another angle lever 108 which has the same pivoting axis 70 as the lever 56 and which moreover on its free end overlaps the other angle 56 in the region of the contact flank 78 on the end side with an overlap piece 110 (cf. FIG. 12). In this contact position the angle lever 108 is held via another tension spring 112. In this respect the overlap piece 110 ensures that the angle lever 56 with its contact surface 78 can extend underneath, engaging the stationary catch support 80, according to the foregoing description (cf. FIG. 13).

In another alternative solution as shown in FIGS. 14 to 17, the control disk as the first control part 40 connected securely to the latter, viewed in the direction of looking at FIGS. 14 and 16, has control cams 42 b which project to the rear. If in turn, as already described, the drive unit 10 is turned on, the direction of rotation Y is to result and the winding shaft 50 therefore turns counterclockwise. The control disk is the driver disk 114 which is permanently connected to the winding shaft 50. An actuating disk 116 which is pivotally guided on the winding shaft by means of a conventional bearing site 118 which is, however, provided with freewheeling, has a spring-loaded actuating pin 120 which, viewed in the direction of looking at FIGS. 14 and 15, keeps a projecting actuating journal 122 in contact with the projecting, underlying stationary control cam 42 b. When the actuating disk 116 continues to be pivoted in the direction of rotation Y, the actuating pin 120 comes into contact with a control housing part 124, and, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, is pressed to the inside against the actuating force of the spring arrangement of the actuating pin 120 and the actuating journal 122 guided to the inside disengages from the pertinent control cam 42 b. This leads to decoupling of the control disk 114 as a control part 14 and the winding shaft 50 can continue to turn counterclockwise Y. In the process, the control flank 92 in turn comes into contact with the lever 58, extending underneath it, and the statements made above in this respect apply to the continuing sequence of motions and also to the illustrated modified embodiment. 

1. An apparatus for tensioning a band, in particular a strapping device, having a drive unit (10) which in the actuated state drives a band winding unit (12) with opposite directions of rotation in one direction at a time, characterized in that by means of an actuating device (14) which can be triggered by the control device (16) of the band winding unit (12), the band (18) which can be inserted into the apparatus is releasably locked in definable positions.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device (16) has a first control part with control cams (42), and a second control part (46) with at least one other control cam (48), wherein the two control parts (40, 46) can be entrained at least in one direction by the winding shaft (50) of the band winding unit (12), and wherein at least one (46) of the two control parts (40, 46) is provided with a freewheeling means (54) such that in one of the two possible directions of rotation the indicated control part (46) can be entrained by the winding shaft (50) without transfer of force and/or it remains in its entrainment position.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the actuating means (14) consists of a multipart lever drive, wherein at least one lever (56) of the drive can be triggered by the first control part (40) and at least one other lever (58) by the second control part (46) and wherein on one free end of the lever drive there is part of a locking means (68) which releasably locks the band (18) which can be inserted into the apparatus in defined positions.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control cams (42) of the first control part (40) extend at discrete distances from one another along the closed curve path which is located concentrically to the winding shaft (50), and wherein the control cams (42 a, 42 b) are an at least partially rigid component of a control disk (114) or wherein the control cams (42) can move at least partially against the action of the energy storage device (90), are held in at least one direction of rotation (Y) of the winding shaft (50) in the trigger position for parts (60, 56) of the lever drive.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second control part (46) has at least one control cam (48) with control flanks (92, 94) which taper conically to its free end, of which one (92) forms an abutment surface for parts (60, 58) of the lever drive.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the movable components are at least partially integrated in a manageable housing (22) which in the region of the lever drive has a catch support (80) that forms an abutment for a part (78) of the lever drive as soon as the indicated part (78) acts on the catch support (80).
 7. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein parts (56; 58) of the lever drive are held in their active contact position with the control means (42; 46) using at least one other energy storage device (72; 74).
 8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is provided with a rotatable cutting means (20) for the band (18) which can be guided in a slot guide (100) which provided with at least one cutting blade (98) in the rotary position allows the band (18) to be cut.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein to drive the rotatable cutting means (20) a rod drive (104) which can be actuated by parts (106) of the lever drive is used.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit (10) is a pneumatic motor with two opposite directions of rotation, which pneumatic motor interacts with the band winding unit (12) via a worm drive (86). 